1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to direct laryngoscopes, and more specifically, to a laryngoscope having means for extending a mirror away from the blade in small selectable increments wherein the extending means locks into said small increments and having means for adjusting the mirror in small selectable increments while in its extended state wherein the adjusting means locks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other laryngoscopes designed to aid in intubation . Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,795 issued to Valenti on Dec. 17, 1996.
Another patent was issued to Wu on Nov. 16, 1993 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,392. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,943 was issued to Ruiz on Sep. 27, 1994 and still yet another was issued on Apr. 18, 1995 to Roberts as U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,941. These patents will be discussed in detail further below.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,795 to Valenti disclose a Pivoting laryngoscope with a power driven spatula for performing intubation in patients. The laryngoscope includes a handle for gripping the laryngoscope, and a curved spatula blade having one end connected to the handle. The spatula blade is subdivided into a plurality of adjacent, sequentially arranged sections. At least two of the sections are pivotally connected together at a fulcrum. A motor assembly is located within the handle and is activated for generating movement of the pivoted, interconnected sections. A motion transmission assembly operatively connects the motor assembly to the section, whereby the section is moved relative to the fulcrum and within a predetermined arc, thereby changing a curvature of the curved spatula blade.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,392 to Tzu-Lang Wu discloses a laryngoscope comprised of an integral handle and curved blade with a bivalve element to form an enclosed passageway with the curved blade, the handle shaped to receive a fiberoptic bundle assembly and the interior of the curved blade having a channel into which a fiberoptic bundle assembly may be placed, with the distal end of said channel forming a circumference for containing the distal end of the fiberoptic bundle assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,943 to Ruiz discloses a mirror laryngoscope blade which includes a curved shaft, a mount on a proximal end of the shaft for attaching the blade to a handle, and a flange extending from an edge of the shaft. The mirror includes a primary viewing surface and a tip inclined toward the shaft. The tip is located between the distal end and the distal quarter point of the shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,941 discloses a laryngoscope for use in endotracheal intubation wherein the blade is adjustable between a straight surface and a curved surface by a rotatable camming member fixedly attached to the blade by a pair of straps.
While these laryngoscopes may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.